PREDICTORS OF DESISTANCE AMONG SINGAPORE OFFENDERS

Abstract

The study of desistance is an emergent field in offender rehabilitation. Our study aims to contribute in a few ways, firstly by addressing the paucity of quantitative scales by finding support to a set of quantitative measures on desistance-related beliefs, and using said scales in determining what are the interventions that could make a change in these domains. Lastly, we look at what could be predictors of signals of desistance.

This study was done in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre of Singapore Prison Service. A total of 140 participants were gathered for Wave 1 and 44 for Wave 2 (after completion of treatment programme).

Our study found support to the measures that were used. However, desistance-related beliefs did not alter significantly after the completion of their treatment programmes. Interestingly, attributional styles and outcome expectancies for desistance were found to be predictive of sense of agency while quality of relationship between prison staff and offenders did not.

Other than addressing the paucity of quantitative measures of desistance, the importance of attributional styles and outcome expectancies for desistance supported our understanding of desistance literature. Practical implications were recommended to SPS, limitations of the study and recommendations on future research were proposed.